Rachael Boyle

Rachael Boyle
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-12-20) 20 December 1991 (age 32)
Place of birth Aberdeen, Scotland
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Hibernian
Number 23
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Aberdeen
2010–2013 Forfar Farmington
2013–2016 Aberdeen
2016– Hibernian
International career
2007–2008 Scotland U17
2008–2010 Scotland U19
2010– Scotland 43 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:37, 11 May 2017 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 05:01, 11 June 2021 (UTC)

Rachael Boyle (née Small; born 20 December 1991) is a Scottish international footballer who currently plays as midfielder for Hibernian in the Scottish Women's Premier League.

Career

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Boyle grew up in Aberdeen and represented Scotland at schools' level in 2005 while a pupil at Northfield Academy.[1] She later progressed through the national under-17 and under-19 squads, captaining the latter in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship finals in Macedonia.[2] She made her full debut for the Scotland women's team in July 2010 against Poland.[3]

At club level, Boyle began with her hometown team, Aberdeen Ladies before moving to Forfar Farmington in 2010.[4] She also attended the Scottish FA's North Regional Football Academy in Aberdeen.[3]

In July 2013, Boyle returned to Aberdeen after Forfar failed to make the top six at the SWPL mid-season split.[5]

Boyle joined Hibernian Ladies in July 2016, with her fiancé Martin Boyle playing for the Edinburgh club's men's side at the same time.[6] After winning the Scottish Women's Cup in 2016[7] and 2017,[8] and the SWPL Cup in 2017,[9] she missed much of the 2018 season due to pregnancy, and gave birth to a daughter in September 2018.[10] She and Martin Boyle married in June 2019.[11]

She was recalled to the Scotland squad in November 2019.[12]

Due to the upheaval it would cause to their daughter, Rachael opted to stay in Edinburgh when Martin left Hibs to play in Saudi Arabia in January 2022.[13]

Career statistics

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International appearances

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As of the match played on 11 April 2023[14]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 2010 1 0
2011 8 0
2012 17 0
2013 2 0
2014
2015
2016
2017 1 0
2018 2 0
2019
2020 6 0
2021 6 0
Total 43 0

References

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  1. ^ "SSFA U15 Girl Internationalists". Scottish Football Association. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Small walking tall for Scotland". UEFA. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Rachael Small – Women's A Squad". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Small contribution brings double boost". Women's Soccer Scene. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  5. ^ Campbell, Alan (24 July 2013). "Robison targets level playing field for women". The Herald. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Dons star defender Rachael Small off to Hibs". Evening Express. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Hibernian Ladies win the Scottish Cup". Hibernian FC. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Hibs hammer Glasgow City to 3–0 win Scottish Cup final". BBC Sport. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  9. ^ Southwick, Andrew (21 May 2017). "SWPL Cup: Hibernian cruise to victory over Celtic to retain trophy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Rachael Small on the cover of The Hibee". Hibernian FC. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Hibs winger Martin Boyle ties the knot with fellow Easter Road star Rachael Small". Edinburgh Evening News. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  12. ^ Cryle, Ryan (25 October 2019). "Boyle joins fellow north-east representatives Corsie and Little in Scotland squad for Euro 2021 qualifier". Evening Express. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Rachael Boyle staying at Hibs as husband Martin Boyle goes to Saudi Arabia to set family up for life". Edinburgh Evening News. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  14. ^ Rachael Boyle at the Scottish Football Association
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